Kind Cashier Plays Along With Sisters Who Mistake Him For Maui From ‘Moana’

Nov 15, 2022 by apost team

Eight-year-old Ryley Dewiggins and her 5-year-old sister Rylyn Dewiggins were with their mom picking up some groceries from Costco in Kapolei, Hawaii when they realized that their cashier, William Va’ana, looked just like Maui from Disney's “Moana.” They smiled, squealed and even joined in with the cashier saying Maui’s trademark “Chee-hoo.” The cashier did his best impersonation of the movie character as he acted for the children. Their sweet encounter from January 2018 was filmed and posted to YouTube by their mom and subsequently went viral.

The trip to Costco turned out to be one for the books for two little girls. There was no way they could have prepared to see none other than one of their favorite Disney characters — or so they thought.

It was just an ordinary day at Costco Kapolei. Ryley and her sister Rylyn were with their mom picking up some groceries. They had finished their shopping trip and were about to check out when the unexpected happened.

It was Maui! They spotted him. He was tall with a heavy build and even had Maui's signature long locks of wavy hair. The girls were sure of themselves that they had found Maui working as a Costco cashier.

Childhood is a time of magic and playtime where the lines between reality and fantasy are often blurred. What child has not wished for a beloved storybook character or cartoon creature to suddenly appear during playtime? Or hasn’t personally spoken to one of these characters?

Read on to learn more about this heartwarming encounter.

The girls could not stop smiling, reported People. They were so thrilled at the pleasant surprise of spotting Maui. After all, it is not every day that a Disney character rings up your mother’s groceries.

Just seeing Maui would have been enough, but that is not where the fun ends. Va’ana, the cashier who looks like Maui, joined the girls in his signature cheer: “Chee-hoo!” He even did his best to raise the pitch of his voice to sound just like in the movie. The girls giggled really hard and enjoyed every moment of it.

“Each time my daughters come to Costco, they search for the ‘real life’ Demigod, Maui,” the girls’ mom, Rella Rivera, wrote in the video description. “Will, featured in this video also does character appearances as Maui for parties and previously at Aulani Disney resort. Thank you, Will, for bringing a smile to our daughters' faces at each visit!”

It should come as no surprise that the sisters became repeat customers at this Costco. It is their favorite place to shop with either parent, reported People. Every time he saw them, Va’ana was happy to play the Maui role for them.

"My favorite part is when he says 'chee hoo,'” Ryley told Hawaii News Now.

To date, the video has garnered more than 5.5 million views and over 16,000 likes. But that is not all — Hawaii News Now announced for their year in review in 2018 that the video of Va’ana was their most popular of that year. And deservingly so!

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"It's overwhelming, but it's cool just to see the kids smile (sic) they light up," Va’ana told Hawaii News Now in January 2019. "They come screaming. It's awesome."

Va’ana said that he did not intend to look like the demigod. "I've grown out my hair just to try something different and then after the movie, I was like, 'Wow, I kinda look like that guy,” the then-33-year-old explained. He did not even realize he went viral until his colleagues told him at work the next day. “I'm not that great on phones honestly. I'm barely on social media," Vaana said. "I came to work yesterday and everybody was like, 'Eh, you went viral.' I'm like, 'OK. What does that mean?" We highly suspect Va’ana to be Maui himself, or at least the reincarnation of him. Because we’re pretty sure Maui is not good with technology, either.

Sadly, after about a year and a half after the video of Va’ana was posted, it was announced on his Instagram that he was diagnosed with a rare brain disease called Moyamoya. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Moyamoya disease is caused by arteries located at the base of the brain being blocked. The name of the disease means “puff of smoke,” in Japanese and the incidence of the disease is more prevalent in Asian countries than in other countries. It is also more common in children. “Posting on behalf of William Va’ana! Asking for prayer mercies over William (a.k.a. Maui) Va’ana as he goes in for brain surgery on Tuesday,” wrote someone from Va’ana’s family on Jan. 13, 2020. 

Two days later, an update was given saying that his surgery had gone smoothly. On Jan. 20, 2020, another update on his Instagram explained that he was well on his road to recovery:

“Update: William is doing great. Surgery is healing & his memory is coming back slowly, as this is a normal process. We hit a set back, but like the champ that he is, he’s back up and fighting! Please continue to pray for him & we want to thank you for the many texts, emails, food drop-offs & visits. We love you all for that. But for now, Maui needs to rest as much as Tefiti did 😂”

Regarding the legend of Maui, the story of “the demigod of the wind and sea,” is not solely about Hawaii. According to tourmaui.com, the legend of Maui is estimated to be over 1000 years old. His legacy is spread throughout Polynesia and he wields a powerful fish hook that helps him shapeshift into different animals. He is also known for his mischief and his antics were responsible for regularly angering the gods. As a trickster, legend says that Maui was very rarely worshipped but treated as more of a folk hero.  

It's to no surprise that Va'ana was mistaken for Maui by the Dewiggins sisters — not only did he physically resemble the strength of the legend, but he now also embodies it as well through his strength in post-surgery recovery. We truly wish that Va'ana gets all of the rest and time to recover that he needs.   

William Va’ana is an example of an everyday person displaying extraordinary character as he does his job. Have you met someone who looks like a real-life Disney character? Let us know, and be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family.